The House met at half-past Nine o'clock, pursuant to Order [19th December].

PRAYERS.

1 City of London (Ward Elections) Bill,-Ordered, That the City of London (Ward Elections) Bill be considered on Thursday 11th January at Four o'clock.

2 Message from the Lords,-A Message was brought from the Lords, as follows-

The Lords have agreed to the Consolidated Fund Bill, without Amendment.

3 Royal Assent,-The Speaker notified the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, That Her Majesty had signified her Royal Assent to the following Acts, agreed upon by both Houses:

Consolidated Fund (No. 2) Act 2000

City of Newcastle upon Tyne Act 2000.

4 Social Security,-Resolved, That the draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating (No. 2) Order 2000, which was laid before this House on 13th December, be approved.-(Mr Secretary Darling).

5 Pensions,-Resolved, That the draft Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase (No. 2) Order 2000, which was laid before this House on 30th November, in the last Session of Parliament, be approved.-(Mr Secretary Darling.)

6 Adjournment (Matters to be considered before the forthcoming adjournment),-A Motion was made, and the Question being proposed, That this House do now adjourn-(Mr Clive Betts);

And it being three hours after the commencement of proceedings on the Motion, the Motion for the adjournment of the House lapsed, without Question put, pursuant to Order [19th December].

7 Public Petitions,-A Public Petition from shopworkers of the United Kingdom and others for statutory protection of Christmas Day was presented and read; and ordered to lie upon the Table and to be printed.

8 Adjournment,-Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.-(Mr Tony McNulty.)

And accordingly the House, having continued to sit till six o'clock, adjourned till Monday 8th January, pursuant to Order [13th December].

[Adjourned at 6 p.m.

Michael J. MartinSpeaker

Mr Speaker will take the Chair at half-past Two o'clock on Monday 8th January.

9 Government Trading Funds,-Report and Accounts of Ordnance Survey for 1999-2000, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act]; to be printed [No. 26] [Clerk of the House].

10 National Audit,-Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General on Office of Gas and Electricity Markets: Giving Domestic Customers a Choice of Electricity Supplier [by Act]; to be printed [No. 85] [Clerk of the House].

11 National Lottery,-Annual Report and Accounts of The Millennium Commission for 1999-2000, with the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon [by Act]; to be printed [No. 95] [Mr Secretary Smith].

12 Telecommunications,-Licences granted under section 7 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to-

(1) Atlas Communications (UK) Ltd,

(2) Cable and Wireless HKT Pacific (UK) Ltd,

(3) Central North Sea Fibre Telecommunications Company Limited,

(4) FPL Telecom Limited, and

(5) TyCom Networks (UK) Limited

[by Act] [Mr Secretary Byers].

Paper withdrawn:

13 Northern Ireland,-Proposal for a draft Life Sentences (Northern Ireland) Order 2001, with an Explanatory Document [laid 19th December].

2 Standards and Privileges,-Second Report from the Committee on Standards and Privileges [Complaint against Mr John Maxton and Dr John Reid], with an Appendix, part of the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Committee on 7th November, in the last Session of Parliament, and Appendices thereto; to be printed, with the Minutes of Proceedings of the Committee relating to the Report [No. 89] [Mr Robert Sheldon].